in my last post, I wrote about how often it's possible to make delicious meals with ingredients you already have in your pantry! this recipe is no exception. recently, while vacationing on the Big Island of Hawaii, I threw together this stirfry with what we had in our fridge and pantry, and it's since become a household favourite! personally, I think the quick-pickled carrots is what really takes it up a notch. plus, you can easily make it vegan and grain free (options below). remember, the best part about stir-fry is once you have your sauce, you can use whatever you have on hand - it's a great way to clear out leftovers! and, because there's lots of chopping involved, I love cooking this with my husband.

Serves 4Prep time: 25 minutesCook time: 20 minutes

here's what you'll need(note that all measurements are approximate, feel free to play around with the flavors!):

pickled carrotsfresh cilantro, rough choppedsesame seedsmango, diced (tip: you can use frozen, just make sure you let it thaw!)hot sauce (sambal goes great with this dish!)

here's what you do:

1. chop, shred or julienne your carrots and cover in rice vinegar. cover and set aside.2. combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl, use water, veg or chicken stock to thin as needed. cover and set aside. (note: making this a day before will increase your flavor profile, big time!)3. prepare and chop all veggies, slice chicken or tofu into bite-sized pieces.4. in a large fry pan, heat coconut oil on med-high heat, adding garlic once oil it hot. add in onions, stir until they're sweating and then add fresh ginger and turmeric, salt and pepper. 5. add your sliced chicken or tofu, continue to cook until browned (the chicken will take longer than the tofu). You can start to prepare your quinoa or rice noodles (or grain-free option) at this point, too.6. once chicken is browned add in your vegetables, starting with peppers and then the broccolini. I prefer for my vegetables to be a bit crunchy, so just cook them as long as you'd like, making sure your chicken is cooked all the way through.7. turn heat to low and let it cool for a few minutes before adding your sauce.8. serve over quinoa or rice noodles and garnish with fresh cilantro, pickled carrots, mango, sesame seeds, and hot sauce if you'd like!

this past sunday was about reflection, and rest. I committed to doing exactly what I felt like doing, in each moment. one of the things I was clear about not wanting to do, was face the grocery store. so instead, I decided to look in our fridge and pantry to see what I had, thumb through a few recipes, and quickly got inspired to build my own curry. and, it turned out to be one of the most delicious things I've ever made!

*depending on your preference you could add a can of chickpeas as a source of plant-based protein at step 5 below, or, if you'd prefer an animal-based protein, you could brown some chicken breast at step 1 below.

here's what you'll do:

1. melt coconut oil in large pot, add garlic and onions and sauté for 5 mins, then add ginger and continue sautéing until onions are translucent, and then add dry spices (curry, coriander, chili flakes, turmeric)2. add 1 cup of vegetable broth to scrape up anything that's dried to bottom of pot, continue to stir for 2-3 mins3. add pumpkin puree, remaining 2 cups of vegetable broth, coconut milk, tamari, sweet potato, carrot, bell pepper4. bring to a boil and then simmer for 25-30 mins or until sweet potato and carrots are soft (the longer, the better). toward the end, add lime juice and fresh spinach. I also added a package of cubed tofu. whatever you do, don't omit the lime juice! it really helps to balance the richness of the coconut milk, sweet potato and pumpkin.5. serve over brown basmati or quinoa (for extra protein) and garish with cilantro and black pepper. to make paleo/grain free, consider omitting the brown basmati or quinoa and serve over cauliflower rice. like most curries, it's even better the next day! tip: cook your quinoa, rice, or cauliflower rice with 2 tsp of cumin seeds. #nextlevel

in deciding what to cook for dinner, I highly recommend taking an inventory of what you already have at home. it feels really good to use what you've got, saving yourself a trip out, and your pennies. having trouble getting inspired? check out my previous blog post on manifesting your inner chef.